Our most recent #comeasyouare project was a huge success, and we ended up with over 100 photos of you awesome people looking powerful at the gym. My favorite part of this project was seeing so many of you reflect on the struggles of showing up in your own body, as well as the triumphs of owning who you are. To follow up on this project, we are taking it to the next step. First, we asked you to come as you are without any qualifications, just make it to the gym and be here with us. The next evolution of this is asking, who are you and what do you bring to our community?

We recently posted our mission statement and member values on the wall of the gym, and Lauren wrote a beautiful post about it. If you haven’t seen them yet, our mission statement says:

At Solcana our goal is to transform the individuals who change our world. We are here to discover and actualize our best selves, and we feel equally passionate about securing that opportunity for others. We believe that rigor and discipline are essentially to safety and sustainable growth. We actively reject conformity and status quo. Solcana is a place where everyone with an open-heart can learn, thrive and grow in an inclusive community.

In addition to that we wrote a list of descriptors that tell about the awesomeness of our members and who they are, based on what we have seen over the last 3+ years.

Our members:

Welcome All

Challenge norms

Are not afraid to fail

Practice rigor and discipline

Are imaginative and innovative

Respect and support individual goals

Transform outcomes for fellow members

Practice compassion and thoughtfulness

Use their influence and expertise for good

It’s fine and dandy to have a mission statement and values slapped up on the wall, but it’s something else to take ownership over those words and make them your own. Enter: The Solcana Pledge. Over the course of the next couple of months, you will notice several rotating photos on our “Come As You Are Board”. Each one is of a member who participated in our recent #comeasyouare photo shoot with the awesome Adam Iverson. Next to the photo is a space for you to individually reflect on what it means to you to actively embody the values and mission statement of the gym on a daily basis. Who do you pledge to be for yourself? For others? How will you demonstrate your passion for the things that move you? What does it mean to be you and to be the fullest version of yourself?

These questions aren’t easy, and they take time to answer, so each rotation of pictures will be up for two weeks at a time. If you see your picture, share your pledge! Encourage others with your words and share your thoughts through your voice. When you’ve finished, post on instagram with #comeasyouare and #solcanapledge, we would love for your message to spread far and wide!

Thank you all so much for always being willing to dive deep and think critically. It brings a fire to our community that is undeniable. I love you very much.